Festivals & Awards

Cast

Arabinda Majumdar, Ashna Habib Bhabna, Satej Chowdhury, Mahmud Alam, A K Azad Shetu, Jannatul Baker Khan, Salauddin Sheikh

Synopsis

A veteran Jatra actor struggles to preserve his art as Bengal's traditional folk theatre collides with modern spectacle. Set over a single winter night in rural Bangladesh, the film explores fading cultural traditions, artistic dignity, desire, and the uneasy tension between authenticity and commercial entertainment.

Director

Asif Islam

Asif Islam is an award-winning Bangladeshi filmmaker, cinematographer, and founder of RedMark Films. His debut feature, Nirvana, won the Special Jury Award at the 46th Moscow International Film Festival (2024). King in the Land of the Princess is his second feature.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Shomira Rias Uddin, Muhammad Shofik Rias Uddin

Synopsis

After living in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, four-year-old Shafi and his nine-year-old sister Somira embark on a perilous journey to Malaysia with a group of fellow Rohingya in the hope of reuniting with their scattered family. They spend seemingly endless days on an overcrowded smugglers' boat until an incident at sea leaves them alone — and lost — in Thailand. But the kindness of the people they meet along the way, and their own indomitable spirit, reveal to them that they are never alone in the world, no matter how far from home.

Director

Akio Fujimoto

Akio Fujimoto is a Japanese filmmaker known for his intimate, socially engaged cinema. His debut feature, Passage of Life (2017), won Best Feature and Best Director in the Asian Future section at the Tokyo International Film Festival. He continued exploring migration and identity in Along the Sea (2020), presented at San Sebastián.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Nasir Uddin Khan, Azmeri Haque Badhon , Zakia Bari Mamo, Sharif Siraj, Aminur Rahman Mukul, Tasnova Tamanna, Fazlur Rahman Babu

Synopsis

Jahir, an ideal teacher, husband, and father, finds fulfillment in his family and work — until he is elected upazila chairman of Mohoganj, a forested suburb. Initially supported by local youth, he steps into power with noble intentions, but the weight of expectations soon overwhelms him. Unable to refuse those who helped him rise, Jahir bends to mounting demands, compromising his principles. As his moral compass wavers, he drifts from his wife, Jharna, and closest ally, Ayub. The proposal to replace a slum with a luxury resort brings new influencers into his life: bureaucrats and lobbyists who shape his daily decisions. His once-altruistic vision twists into a pursuit of power, control, and notoriety. Jahir's transformation is stark: from a community hero to a feared authoritarian.

Director

Rezwan Shahriar Sumit

Rezwan Shahriar Sumit is a Bangladeshi filmmaker and NYU Tisch alumnus specializing in entertainment and social impact. His debut feature, The Salt in Our Waters, premiered at BFI London Film Festival and swept seven National Film Awards. He also serves as a World Bank consultant supporting Bangladesh's film industry.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Amrutha Krishnakumar, Ishak Musafir, Gauthami Gopan, Vineeth Vasudrvan

Synopsis

Amala faces psychological challenges due to some bitter experiences in her life. Taking advantage of this, a young man named Shanu befriends her and involves her in crimes to escape the law and punishment.

Director

Fazil Razak

Fazil Razak is an Indian filmmaker whose debut feature, Thadavu (The Sentence), won Best Debut Director at the 54th Kerala State Film Awards. His second feature, Moham (Desire), won the FIPRESCI Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala 2025 and Best Film & Best Actress at the Moscow International Film Festival.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Mostafizur Noor Imran, Nazifa Tushi, Gazi Rakayet, Ahsabul Yamin Riad

Synopsis

A solitary middle aged man SHADU marries a madwoman and builds a house on a vacant plot of land far from the village. However, his wife's madness becomes a calamity in his tranquil life. So, he casts her away in a distant place. After many days, a palm fruit falls from the palmyra palm tree near their home, and strangely, his wife returns. This cycle repeats over and over. The mad wife, the palm tree, and Shadu's life seem to revolve in an endless loop, like a perpetual enigma!

Director

Mejbaur Rahman Sumon

Mejbaur Rahman Sumon is a Bangladeshi filmmaker, screenwriter, painter, and musician, and a leading voice of the Bangladesh New Wave. His debut feature, Hawa (2022), was Bangladesh's Oscar entry that year. His second feature, Roid (2025), premiered in the Tiger Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2026 — the only South Asian film in the category, and Bangladesh's first-ever entry.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Gaumaya Gurung, Pashupati Rai, Shyamashree Sherpa, Bishnu Maya Rai, Rahul Mukhia

Synopsis

Bishnu, 32, returns to her ancestral Himalayan village after quitting her city job, only to face mounting family pressures and rigid societal expectations. Awaiting her are her grandmother, who hopes her son will return from Dubai; her mother, eager to see Bishnu settled and married; and her pregnant sister Junu, who has come seeking refuge due to tensions at her in-laws' home. As old conflicts resurface with Junu's arrival and a tentative relationship develops with Gyan, a "suitable" local architect, Bishnu is caught between tradition and her desire for independence. Navigating this fragile web of expectations and defiance, she must choose whether to conform or forge her own path.

Director

Tribeny Rai

Tribeny Rai is a filmmaker from Sikkim. Her work explores female experience within the layered landscapes of the Eastern Himalayas. 'Shape of Momo' is her debut feature.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Siddarth Swaroop, Aishwarya Dinesh, Anirudh P. Keserker, Karthik Nagarajan

Synopsis

Set in 1990s Bangalore, a young boy hiding abuse at school begins to understand his mother’s hidden struggles as a family tragedy unfolds.

Director

Anoop Lokkur

Anoop Lokkur is an Indian-Australian writer, director, and producer originally from Bangalore, whose work explores family, human relationships, and the emotional complexities of everyday life. His debut feature film, DON’T TELL MOTHER, premiered at the Busan International Film Festival. His short film LONG DISTANCE premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and Palm Springs International ShortFest before being acquired by Canal+. In 2019, he was selected for the prestigious MIFF Accelerator Lab.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Shashank Barua, Dibanisha Banerjee, Jitender Kumar, Lokesh Jain, Chavi Jain, Aaditya Gupta, Aditya Raj, Vasil Khan, Abhishek John, Girish Cally, Vibha Shukla, Shreeja Dixit.

Synopsis

In Delhi, during Diwali, members of a middle-class family find themselves embroiled in a crime. Searching for a solution forces them to confront both the immediate situation and the truths they have been hiding from one another.

Director

Rohan Bakshi

Born and raised in New Delhi in 1998, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce from Khalsa College, Delhi University. During his final year, a 10-day FTII smartphone filmmaking workshop inspired him to make independent short films using available resources, strengthening his filmmaking skills. He later completed a Master’s in Filmmaking with a specialisation in Direction from Whistling Woods International, Mumbai, in 2023. His diploma film, Broken Reflections, was officially selected at various film festivals. In 2025, he completed production on his debut feature film, which is currently on its festival run, marking an important milestone in his filmmaking journey.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Sanat Chattopadyay, Soham Majumdar, Priyanka Sarkar, Sankhadeep (Child Artist)

Synopsis

When the son of a Kolkata police officer and a Swedish researcher vanish under mysterious circumstances, all paths lead to the enigmatic Trilokadarshi Baba, a mystic haunted by visions since childhood. As faith collides with reason, a search for truth spirals into a haunting exploration of guilt, redemption, and perception, where the greatest mystery may be the nature of belief itself.

Director

Samik Roy Choudhury

Born and raised in Kolkata, India, a city rich in art, culture, and cinema, Samik grew up in a family deeply rooted in storytelling and performance. During college, he had the rare opportunity to learn editorial aesthetics from Dulal Dutta, the legendary editor of Satyajit Ray’s films, an experience that shaped his cinematic vision. After earning a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and working as a science reporter, he joined the Oscar-winning Rhythm & Hues Studios. His debut feature Beline (2024) received critical acclaim and major awards. His upcoming films, Mushroom and Maya Satya Bhram, continue his creative journey.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

P. Melody Dorcas, V. Shudar Kodi

Synopsis

Poongodi, known as Mayilaa, escapes her abusive husband and rebuilds her life with her young daughter in a South Indian village. Selling mats to survive, she finds strength in the village goddess Mayilaatha. As a temple festival nears, trance-like possessions become acts of grief, faith, and defiance, helping Mayilaa reclaim her dignity and forge her own future.

Director

Semmalar Annam

Semmalar Annam is a storyteller with a background in Visual Communication and Journalism. Her journey into cinema began with a Master’s project that received state-level recognition. She trained in Theatre and Direction under filmmaker Arunmozhi Sivaprakasam and began her career through street theatre before acting in independent and mainstream Tamil films. Her short film Mudhal Mazhai (First Rain), exploring bodily autonomy and feminine identity, earned critical acclaim and over one million YouTube views. Her debut feature, Mayilaa, continues her commitment to emotionally resonant storytelling, exploring women’s inner lives while creating universal narratives that reflect the human experience with authenticity.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Puspa Thing Lama, Sahab Din Miya, Jasmin Bishwokarma, Aliz Ghimire, Joel Gurung, Aashant Sharma, MJ Sanjay Gupta

Synopsis

In a small Nepalese village nestled deep within a forest inhabited by wild elephants, Pirati is the matriarch of a community of transgender women. When one of her girls disappears, she must choose between love and her responsibility.

Director

Abinash Bikram Shah

Abinash Bikram Shah is a Nepalese writer and director, alumnus of the Sundance Institute, Berlinale Talents, GMM - Film Independent, and Locarno Filmmakers Academy. He co-wrote ‘The Black Hen’ (Venice Critics’ Choice) and ‘Shambhala’ (Berlin Competition 2O24), both Nepal’s Oscar entries. After his debut short ‘Tattini’ reached international festivals, he became the first Nepali director in an official selection at Cannes in 2022 with ‘Lori’, which received a Jury Special Mention.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Randika Gunathilaka, Shyam Fernando, Mahendra Perera, Priyantha Sirikumara, Ananda Kumaraunnahe, Prabodini Chandrasena

Synopsis

Riverstone explores the killing of suspected criminals while in police custody. Many believe these deaths are staged rather than genuine shootouts. It suggests that governments order such actions, while police officers carry them out in exchange for possible promotions. Through the journey of three officers, the film examines their doubts, conscience, and moral conflict before killing a stranger.

Director

Lalith Rathnayake

Lalith Rathnayake is an award-winning Sri Lankan director and scriptwriter with 26 years of experience in films and television mini-series. Over his career, he has developed strong knowledge of different media styles, adapting his directing skills across formats. He began in school theatre and spent ten years working as an assistant director on films and tele-dramas before becoming a director. His debut feature, The Other Half, was completed in 2019 and won more than 50 international awards. The film explores the meaning and value of education while examining its many dimensions, establishing Lalith as a distinctive voice in Sri Lankan cinema.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Kavisha Mahanta, Dr. Nilim Chetia, Anisha Hazarika, Arun Hazarika, Ananya Hazarika

Synopsis

Losing her mother as an infant, eight-year-old Lakhi buries herself in drawing to imagine her face, while her father struggles to find a way to reach her and move forward together.

Director

Snigdha P. Roy

Snigdha P. Roy is a filmmaker, writer, and editor with over 15 years of experience in the Indian film industry. She began her career in animation and editing, and has worked across various department=s on a wide range of projects. Her directorial work includes several acclaimed short films — Hands of A, Let Love Be, Wounds, and The Gift — which have screened at festivals internationally. As an editor, she has contributed to films and series such as Skater Girl (Netflix), Saina (T-Series), Class (Netflix), and First Act (Amazon). Aakuti marks her debut feature as a writer-director.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Dr. Sujoy K. Guha, Dr. Padma Vasudevan, L.R. Fox, Sohini Chattopadhyay, Kevin Eisenfrats, Elaine Lissner and others

Synopsis

A global race to develop a new male contraceptive that could revolutionize family planning and improve women’s lives globally.

Director

Vaishali Sinha

Vaishali Sinha, an acclaimed filmmaker and producer, directed the celebrated documentaries Made in India and Ask the Sexpert. Her work earned India’s Critics Choice Award alongside Grierson and Ridenhour nominations, plus a Harvard Business School ethics study. Sinha also served as development consultant for the Oscar winner Period. End. Of. Sentence. A Rockefeller Bellagio Fellow, she cofounded Bitchitra Collective to champion Indian women documentarians, mentoring emerging directors through Firelight Media and Kartemquin. After studying physics at Saint Xavier’s College, Mumbai, she earned a 16mm filmmaking diploma from The New School. Today, Sinha lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their child.

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Neelima Sharma, Kajal Keshav, Pritam Pilania, Jatin Sarin, Bhushan Shimpi, Vinod Suryavanshi, Swetha Mishra

Synopsis

Set in Mumbai’s chaotic nights, four migrants, a gay husband, his lonely wife working in a bar, a thief, and a pimp find their lives colliding over love, survival, and forbidden desire.

Director

Anuparna Roy

Anuparna Roy is an emerging filmmaker and writer from Narayanpur, a village in Purulia, West Bengal. A graduate in English Literature from Kulti College, she made her debut with Songs of Forgotten Trees, which premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. The film earned her the Best Director Award, making her the first Indian to receive this honor. Songs of Forgotten Trees later screened at major festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival (Sutherland Award), Best Screenplay at FIPRESI AWARD, Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (Competition), Cork International Film Festival (Audience Award), and Lisboa Film Festival (Main Competition).

Festivals & Awards

Cast

Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Javed Jaffrey, Makarand Deshpande, Neena Kulkarni, Sayani Gupta

Synopsis

Souls of dead people with unfilled wishes refuse to move on, wreaking hilarious havoc as they desperately try to salvage their unfinished business.

Director

Gayatri Patil, Aditya Rathi

Aditya & Gayatri are an acclaimed Indian writer-director duo recognized for their compelling narratives, unique artistic vision, and deep focus on human relationships, life philosophies, and self-discovery. Their debut Marathi feature, Photo-Prem, garnered critical acclaim, earned selections at prestigious film festivals (including the Indian Panorama at IFFI), and won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Released globally as an Amazon Prime Original, the film is widely regarded as one of the finest works in modern Marathi cinema. Continuing to challenge storytelling boundaries and amplify meaningful voices, their filmography includes Shikaayatein, an anthology feature starring a powerhouse ensemble cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Gajraj Rao, Makarand Deshpande, Neena Kulkarni, and Sayani Gupta. They have also directed the Hindi feature A Bad Idea, starring Aditya Rathi and Makarand Deshpande.